Camino Blues

[lt56ny]

Don't know if this is the correct place but.

I have my vaccine. I have trained enough and walked enough to leave tomorrow to fly to Sevilla to start the VDLP. But it is still a wish that that hopefully will be fulfilled in October. But October is still 8 months away. I have watched more than enough videos. To be honest after many videos of people of their caminos or photos set to music on their caminos I have gotten bored by them. Sorry no offense at all. I will say I have seen some really good ones. David Tallan has a very good list of videos. I also like the videos of people who have gone day by day and talked about their feelings, where they stayed and how much they spent, like Efrain and Sarah's videos. To be honest I have tried reading books by people who have walked and I have found they are not my cup of tea. I enjoy reading on this forum. people's questions, comments and especially when people write about their day by day experiences on less traveled Caminos. I have tried virtual caminos but again not for me.
But I have started to get a little ornery and sometimes I say dumb things here and I apologize.
I am not getting my fix anymore from my Camino resources.
I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.
But it drove me crazy like everything else Camino related has lately. I am soon to be 67 and like the rest of my fellow pilgrims none of us have time to waste. I know there is no answer but to double down on my patience and do a little venting. Maybe someone has a genius idea. I do have other hobbies and things to keep me busy. But I love the Camino and it is home.
I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me. I may now take a list of albergues because who knows what will be in October) Now as it looks like my college buddies will not be able to walk until 2022 with me because not one, not two but there are three newly diagnosed cancers between them and one of their wives our future plans have changed. This has been way more divesting and has added greatly to the stress as we were going to walk together this year to celebrate 50 years together. So I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago. There is no doubt in my mind they will be next to me when we meet in Porto. Don;t have much more to bitch about and worry about so:
Thanks very much!

 

[trecile]

I think that you mean Not able to go on Camino Blues, and you have plenty of company!

Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.

Like when I watch The Way and think "why are they wearing jeans?"

 

[Cayou]

You're probably not alone with many of your thoughts. I'm also 67 and like you, keep seeing the goal posts continually moved a little further away each month and wonder how many good years I have left. The advice that I keep hearing is: Live in the moment and take advantage of what is available to you here and now. Still 8 months till October, so don't throw in the towel just yet!

 

[Stivandrer]

I found you a Camino Blues, though....

We have simply got to stick it out....

 

[Robo]

Well.
Look on the bright side.

We're alive.

And one day........we should get to walk a Camino again.

A dear friend of mine who lives in Madrid, died last month of Covid.

I'm counting my blessings.

 

[Aidan21]

Yeah I am 65 and one whole year just wasted... How many good years left? Yes I know about living in the moment and to a large extent I do, but I love the feeling of anticipating my next visit to Spain. I feel very much at home on the Camino also and I am missing my yearly fix. But I am hoping I can return in September to Salamanca to finish the VDLP that I started in 2018. Perhaps one good thing for me is that I recently tested positive for C19 so hopefully when I go back to Spain I will be fully vaccinated and have the benefit of all the natural immunity that my current predicament will gift to me.

 

[NorthernLight]

I find I need to step away from ‘all things camino’ occasionally. It puts me too much in my own head and that can be a scary place to be. And with a camino obsession, how much of life are we missing around us because we are so focused on the next camino?

 

[lt56ny]

I think that you mean Not able to go on Camino Blues, and you have plenty of company!


Like when I watch The Way and think "why are they wearing jeans?"

At least the jeans in The Way are not designer clothing

 

[lt56ny]

I find I need to step away from ‘all things camino’ occasionally. It puts me too much in my own head and that can be a scary place to be. And with a camino obsession, how much of life are we missing around us because we are so focused on the next camino?

I agree with you about that. It is something that does not take up big chunks of my time. As I said I do have lots of other things I enjoy and believe me my wife keeps me busy. I think what makes this especially hard is knowing some of the people I love the most in this world have been stricken with cancer recently. In just the last 18 months it is 6 people and I have lost one of them already. Being on Camino is such a joy for me and my friends and I have looked forward to our camino for a long time. It is a big disappointment not to walk with such close friends who know my secrets better than my wife (some secrets I should say haha) will have to wait until their bodies heal and our spirits can soar together.

 

[lt56ny]

I found you a Camino Blues, though....

We have simply got to stick it out....

Have no idea what she is saying but I think I have a good idea!

 

[alexwalker]

Don't know if this is the correct place but.

I have my vaccine. I have trained enough and walked enough to leave tomorrow to fly to Sevilla to start the VDLP. But it is still a wish that that hopefully will be fulfilled in October. But October is still 8 months away. I have watched more than enough videos. To be honest after many videos of people of their caminos or photos set to music on their caminos I have gotten bored by them. Sorry no offense at all. I will say I have seen some really good ones. David Tallan has a very good list of videos. I also like the videos of people who have gone day by day and talked about their feelings, where they stayed and how much they spent, like Efrain and Sarah's videos. To be honest I have tried reading books by people who have walked and I have found they are not my cup of tea. I enjoy reading on this forum. people's questions, comments and especially when people write about their day by day experiences on less traveled Caminos. I have tried virtual caminos but again not for me.
But I have started to get a little ornery and sometimes I say dumb things here and I apologize.
I am not getting my fix anymore from my Camino resources.
I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.
But it drove me crazy like everything else Camino related has lately. I am soon to be 67 and like the rest of my fellow pilgrims none of us have time to waste. I know there is no answer but to double down on my patience and do a little venting. Maybe someone has a genius idea. I do have other hobbies and things to keep me busy. But I love the Camino and it is home.
I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me. I may now take a list of albergues because who knows what will be in October) Now as it looks like my college buddies will not be able to walk until 2022 with me because not one, not two but there are three newly diagnosed cancers between them and one of their wives our future plans have changed. This has been way more divesting and has added greatly to the stress as we were going to walk together this year to celebrate 50 years together. So I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago. There is no doubt in my mind they will be next to me when we meet in Porto. Don;t have much more to bitch about and worry about so:
Thanks very much!

@lt56ny : I hear you loud and clear. It's OK to feel frustrated. End of next month, I'll be 67, so we are both "there". I have read your starting post very carefully, i hope, and I really am there with you.

I still have many Caminos in me, I feel. As for now, I am daydreaming, and this forum is a blessing: Without it, it would be hard. But better days are coming. I will soon be vaccinated (I am in "the old people" group; disgusting..), and ready to go again, as soon as vaccinations are accepted in order to travel. It will happen.

I notice people around me are leaving (die) but life must go on, and I am still alive and kicking, fingers crossed, and I have strong intentions of several more Caminos coming to my feet.

For now, we just have to wait it out a little longer. After all, so many have died from this decease, but we have so far survived. That should give us good hopes for the near future.

I have just decided to accept that it is what is is: I can't do much about it.

We WILL be back: it just takes some more time than we expected...

 

[C clearly]

I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago.

Consider creating your plan here on the forum. Start a new thread, invite others to follow along and make suggestions, and post your planning day-by-day - maybe post one day and leave a couple of days free for feedback, and then post the next. See, for example, the Lana virtual camino here. You might find it fun!

 

[Former member 91017]

I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.

Hallelujah to all that. I watched it and it just made me so maddeningly irritate! Yes, camino is a setting in which any of us might live our lives, but truthfully, Camino is no just a backdrop for a melodrama about finding the right person for a snog... and yet... there it was... and the *make-up*... My word. Only once did I meet a young woman carrying that much make-up (several travel trunks arrived in Ledigos, and then the same several were being unloaded as I passed through Sahaugun on my way to wherever.... and I never aw her again. I suspect it was all *too much*... but apparently not too much for the characters of 3 Caminos to lug through, well, 3 Caminos.

 

[Richard P]

I'm 71 and don't think of myself as "running out of time" yet as I had a father who continued to work until a few months before he died at 92. In all his later years I never heard him refer to himself as OLD. I had to put off my Camino from Mont-St-Michel last year and am re-planning it for this fall - next spring - next summer - whenever.
I look at this forum just about every day. There is just so much to read, and such interesting takes on so many interesting topics.
cheers & bon chemin

 

[Robo]

I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me.

Hey @lt56ny . Great suggestion from @C clearly .
Share your plan, maybe even as many others have done, in a 'Virtual Camino'.

I followed @AJGuillaume thread on planning his VdlP with all the suggestions and discussions, it was great.

Over to you @lt56ny

 

[Anamiri]

I think that you mean Not able to go on Camino Blues, and you have plenty of company!


Like when I watch The Way and think "why are they wearing jeans?"

Yes Exactly, I love the movie, but why are they wearing jeans?

 

[Rozenn]

Don't know if this is the correct place but.

I have my vaccine. I have trained enough and walked enough to leave tomorrow to fly to Sevilla to start the VDLP. But it is still a wish that that hopefully will be fulfilled in October. But October is still 8 months away. I have watched more than enough videos. To be honest after many videos of people of their caminos or photos set to music on their caminos I have gotten bored by them. Sorry no offense at all. I will say I have seen some really good ones. David Tallan has a very good list of videos. I also like the videos of people who have gone day by day and talked about their feelings, where they stayed and how much they spent, like Efrain and Sarah's videos. To be honest I have tried reading books by people who have walked and I have found they are not my cup of tea. I enjoy reading on this forum. people's questions, comments and especially when people write about their day by day experiences on less traveled Caminos. I have tried virtual caminos but again not for me.
But I have started to get a little ornery and sometimes I say dumb things here and I apologize.
I am not getting my fix anymore from my Camino resources.
I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.
But it drove me crazy like everything else Camino related has lately. I am soon to be 67 and like the rest of my fellow pilgrims none of us have time to waste. I know there is no answer but to double down on my patience and do a little venting. Maybe someone has a genius idea. I do have other hobbies and things to keep me busy. But I love the Camino and it is home.
I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me. I may now take a list of albergues because who knows what will be in October) Now as it looks like my college buddies will not be able to walk until 2022 with me because not one, not two but there are three newly diagnosed cancers between them and one of their wives our future plans have changed. This has been way more divesting and has added greatly to the stress as we were going to walk together this year to celebrate 50 years together. So I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago. There is no doubt in my mind they will be next to me when we meet in Porto. Don;t have much more to bitch about and worry about so:
Thanks very much!

I agree with you , the 3 Caminos program o Netflix I find it very bad and somehow even ridiculous
It seems totally fake , I was very désappointed and stopped watching after 2 episodes
I will be 67 too.. no time to
Waste either !!
Don’t lose the motivation ! Good luck

 

[NorthernLight]

Re: the jeans - I’ve met pilgrims wearing jeans. They set out from home with clothing they already owned.

 

[Meggins]

I'm 71 and don't think of myself as "running out of time" yet as I had a father who continued to work until a few months before he died at 92. In all his later years I never heard him refer to himself as OLD. I had to put off my Camino from Mont-St-Michel last year and am re-planning it for this fall - next spring - next summer - whenever.
I look at this forum just about every day. There is just so much to read, and such interesting takes on so many interesting topics.
cheers & bon chemin

I agree Richard! In your 60s you are still 'sweet young things' --) I am 75 and don't think of myself as 'old' -never have.

I am currently planning my next Camino. 1 version with 25km maximum per day. The 2nd version is max of 20km per day - I have knee and back issues. The 20km is the version I did in Fall 2019 and did 800km. If it hadn't been for a week off due to badly bruised foot and week off for bad stomach upset, I would have completed.

Sadly due to Covid and $$ issues I can only go in 2023 but am so looking forward to being on the Camino again! ---)
Hang Tough Pilgrims!

 

[El Cascayal]

Wow wow wow so many things we share. So many here are 67. I’ll happily join you this May. I too find myself obsessed with the Camino & plan different routes daily. A little or a lot insane, don’t know. I’m a Pulmonologist/Critical care doc doing Palliative, this past weekend 10 of my patients died. 10! TEN persons dead. The most ever in my 40+ years of doing this. We who are alive must live each day to our fullest, whatever that is. I thank all of you here, this network of Peregrinos who share our hopes and dreams. Buen Camino to all of us in our everyday caminos. Somehow, I love you all.

 

[lt56ny]

Consider creating your plan here on the forum. Start a new thread, invite others to follow along and make suggestions, and post your planning day-by-day - maybe post one day and leave a couple of days free for feedback, and then post the next. See, for example, the Lana virtual camino here. You might find it fun!

That is a great idea! Thanks and I will checkout the Lana virtual. It sounds like a fun way to stay connected.

 

[lt56ny]

Hallelujah to all that. I watched it and it just made me so maddeningly irritate! Yes, camino is a setting in which any of us might live our lives, but truthfully, Camino is no just a backdrop for a melodrama about finding the right person for a snog... and yet... there it was... and the *make-up*... My word. Only once did I meet a young woman carrying that much make-up (several travel trunks arrived in Ledigos, and then the same several were being unloaded as I passed through Sahaugun on my way to wherever.... and I never aw her again. I suspect it was all *too much*... but apparently not too much for the characters of 3 Caminos to lug through, well, 3 Caminos.

I found myself fast forwarding through the last two shows and I didn't miss anything. I noticed that you started a Coimbra. I love that city. Took a rest day there in 2017. If I had not met my wife here in Mexico and decided to stay here there is a 100% chance I would have gone back to Coimbra for an extended stay to see if it would be somewhere I wanted to live.

 

[lt56ny]

I'm 71 and don't think of myself as "running out of time" yet as I had a father who continued to work until a few months before he died at 92. In all his later years I never heard him refer to himself as OLD. I had to put off my Camino from Mont-St-Michel last year and am re-planning it for this fall - next spring - next summer - whenever.
I look at this forum just about every day. There is just so much to read, and such interesting takes on so many interesting topics.
cheers & bon chemin

I do not think I am running out of time just yet either. What I meant by that is we all have, regardless of age, just a certain number of Caminos, whether it be because of body or circumstance. At this age I do my best to try to make sure I can walk at least another 10 years or more but who knows the circumstance. Like your dad my grandfather worked until he was 95. He died a few months after he was forced to stop. You are right also about reading things on the forum. It is my go to sight in the morning to get away from the madness that is my home country and the madness that is COVID.
I walked Le Puy and would love to do another Camino in France. Would love if you could post your Camino experiences in France. I absolutely loved that camino and loved staying in Gites and WOW as I always say, I am not knocking Spanish food but eating dinner in many of the Gites would have cost at least 50 or 60 Euros in Spain and the presentation, variety, flavor and quality would make almost all my meals (I am a budget pilgrim also) in Spain feel like I am at McDonalds.

 

[lt56ny]

I agree with you , the 3 Caminos program o Netflix I find it very bad and somehow even ridiculous
It seems totally fake , I was very désappointed and stopped watching after 2 episodes
I will be 67 too.. no time to
Waste either !!
Don’t lose the motivation ! Good luck

I can tell you are one smart Perigrina. You stopped after 2 episodes I watched the whole thing and believe me you missed nothing. As the old saying goes; "there are 6 hours of my life I will never get back".

 

[lt56ny]

I agree Richard! In your 60s you are still 'sweet young things' --) I am 75 and don't think of myself as 'old' -never have.

I am currently planning my next Camino. 1 version with 25km maximum per day. The 2nd version is max of 20km per day - I have knee and back issues. The 20km is the version I did in Fall 2019 and did 800km. If it hadn't been for a week off due to badly bruised foot and week off for bad stomach upset, I would have completed.

Sadly due to Covid and $$ issues I can only go in 2023 but am so looking forward to being on the Camino again! ---)
Hang Tough Pilgrims!

Hang tough Pilgrim!!!

 

[lt56ny]

Wow wow wow so many things we share. So many here are 67. I’ll happily join you this May. I too find myself obsessed with the Camino & plan different routes daily. A little or a lot insane, don’t know. I’m a Pulmonologist/Critical care doc doing Palliative, this past weekend 10 of my patients died. 10! TEN persons dead. The most ever in my 40+ years of doing this. We who are alive must live each day to our fullest, whatever that is. I thank all of you here, this network of Peregrinos who share our hopes and dreams. Buen Camino to all of us in our everyday caminos. Somehow, I love you all.

Remember too that you are indispensable. You had a tough month to say the least. I worked as a pharmaceutical rep (I know it is a dirty word to some) but I think I was pretty good as I have many friends who are physicians, You have suffered a profound loss. I can't imagine how that must be. I know the loss my friends felt losing one patient. Remember one thing, over the years you have saved countless lives so we all thank you for that. We all somehow love each other.

 

[CherylCamino]

I have been following the many discussions, pictures, etc. on the forum. Brings back a lot of wonderful memories of walking the Camino.
My husband and I walked the French route back in September/October 2019.
It was our first Camino (Ages 60/65)….and one of the best adventures of our lives. A lot of people did not believe that we would be able to walk from SJPP to SdC. It was difficult, wonderful, good days, bad days, but we did it!

We had planned to walk the Portuguese Coastal route in 2020….but of course…it did not happen.
Lately my one little light at the end of tunnel (walking another Camino this year) is fading…Vaccine distribution is moving incredibly slow in Canada.

I am struggling right now…as it is winter time here in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. -19c last weekend (wind chill of -30c) with a couple of feet of snow on our property. It is difficult to be motivated to get out and walk….

I envy the people on the forum who are able to get outside every day to walk and be able to work in their gardens and maybe see other family members.

I miss our time on the Camino….we are happy we went when we did…but I wonder sometimes if it would be better for my mind….if I did not know what I was missing….

 

[Former member 91017]

I found myself fast forwarding through the last two shows and I didn't miss anything. I noticed that you started a Coimbra. I love that city. Took a rest day there in 2017. If I had not met my wife here in Mexico and decided to stay here there is a 100% chance I would have gone back to Coimbra for an extended stay to see if it would be somewhere I wanted to live.

I thought Coimbra was gorgeous, just about the right size for "living well", and the presence of the university there made me feel "at home" (able to hi tup their eduroam while I got my SIM card set up etc).
I generally loved Portugal. Period.
Except for the damp.
I left the west coast (BC) when I was 8 and I had to ask my mother, "Were our sheets always damp? Did we struggle with the smell of mildew everywhere?" and she said that we had not had those issues... so I chalk the dampness *inside* in Portugal up to the old stone construction.
So if I get my dreams and can move to the Iberian peninsula, Portugal will have to be a site of frequent visits for me, but not the place to land. Alas.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Like when I watch The Way and think "why are they wearing jeans?"

They are wearing jeans because they forgot to prepare properly by checking out this forum ahead of time for stellar advice on what items to bring...and what to leave at home.

 

[Former member 91017]

I have been following the many discussions, pictures, etc. on the forum. Brings back a lot of wonderful memories of walking the Camino.
My husband and I walked the French route back in September/October 2019.
It was our first Camino (Ages 60/65)….and one of the best adventures of our lives. A lot of people did not believe that we would be able to walk from SJPP to SdC. It was difficult, wonderful, good days, bad days, but we did it!

We had planned to walk the Portuguese Coastal route in 2020….but of course…it did not happen.
Lately my one little light at the end of tunnel (walking another Camino this year) is fading…Vaccine distribution is moving incredibly slow in Canada.

I am struggling right now…as it is winter time here in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. -19c last weekend (wind chill of -30c) with a couple of feet of snow on our property. It is difficult to be motivated to get out and walk….

I envy the people on the forum who are able to get outside every day to walk and be able to work in their gardens and maybe see other family members.

I miss our time on the Camino….we are happy we went when we did…but I wonder sometimes if it would be better for my mind….if I did not know what I was missing….

I have wondered the same... but I think in the end... no, we are so so fortunate to have that enrichment in our lives. What might it be like if we had had the dream to go, not been able to, and to have now the doubts that it might ever be possible again? (It is not merely about whether *we* can be vaccinated -- I am also Canadian -- but about whether *they* can be vaccinated).

Good news today is that the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine was radically under-estimated on first dose, so we might get away with just one hit.... that would help enormously.

Hang in there!

 

[lt56ny]

I have wondered the same... but I think in the end... no, we are so so fortunate to have that enrichment in our lives. What might it be like if we had had the dream to go, not been able to, and to have now the doubts that it might ever be possible again? (It is not merely about whether *we* can be vaccinated -- I am also Canadian -- but about whether *they* can be vaccinated).

Good news today is that the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine was radically under-estimated on first dose, so we might get away with just one hit.... that would help enormously.

Hang in there!

Had two doses of Pfizer. I had a pretty intense reaction to the second dose. I was dizzy and a little disoriented almost immediately. The nurse noticed and made me stay seated and the doctor came to check me out. They made me stay over a half hour. He came back and told me that I must go home immediately stay in bed for at least 3 days. It took almost a week to get back to normal. He also told me that such a strong reaction usually means that the vaccine will probably work much better than normal. He said that strong vaccine reactions relate to strong protection.

 

[Thomas Yingst]

Si

Don't know if this is the correct place but.

I have my vaccine. I have trained enough and walked enough to leave tomorrow to fly to Sevilla to start the VDLP. But it is still a wish that that hopefully will be fulfilled in October. But October is still 8 months away. I have watched more than enough videos. To be honest after many videos of people of their caminos or photos set to music on their caminos I have gotten bored by them. Sorry no offense at all. I will say I have seen some really good ones. David Tallan has a very good list of videos. I also like the videos of people who have gone day by day and talked about their feelings, where they stayed and how much they spent, like Efrain and Sarah's videos. To be honest I have tried reading books by people who have walked and I have found they are not my cup of tea. I enjoy reading on this forum. people's questions, comments and especially when people write about their day by day experiences on less traveled Caminos. I have tried virtual caminos but again not for me.
But I have started to get a little ornery and sometimes I say dumb things here and I apologize.
I am not getting my fix anymore from my Camino resources.
I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.
But it drove me crazy like everything else Camino related has lately. I am soon to be 67 and like the rest of my fellow pilgrims none of us have time to waste. I know there is no answer but to double down on my patience and do a little venting. Maybe someone has a genius idea. I do have other hobbies and things to keep me busy. But I love the Camino and it is home.
I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me. I may now take a list of albergues because who knows what will be in October) Now as it looks like my college buddies will not be able to walk until 2022 with me because not one, not two but there are three newly diagnosed cancers between them and one of their wives our future plans have changed. This has been way more divesting and has added greatly to the stress as we were going to walk together this year to celebrate 50 years together. So I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago. There is no doubt in my mind they will be next to me when we meet in Porto. Don;t have much more to bitch about and worry about so:
Thanks very much!

Since I was unable to do a Camino this past year because of COVID-19 ... I guess I’ll have to two in the next year ... darn ... l’ll be 65 in June ... got the funds and got the time !!

 

[lt56ny]

Si

Since I was unable to do a Camino this past year because of COVID-19 ... I guess I’ll have to two in the next year ... darn ... l’ll be 65 in June ... got the funds and got the time !!

I will be 67 in March so go do two!!! I can only do one so do the second one for me. We are tough!!!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Si

Since I was unable to do a Camino this past year because of COVID-19 ... I guess I’ll have to two in the next year ... darn ... l’ll be 65 in June ... got the funds and got the time !!

When things hopefully settle down a lot, I will be doing two as well, whether this year or next.

 

[Arn]

I find I need to step away from ‘all things camino’ occasionally. It puts me too much in my own head and that can be a scary place to be. And with a camino obsession, how much of life are we missing around us because we are so focused on the next camino?

I stepped away from the Camino and the Forum, not because I was bored of either, but because I needed to recharge my batteries and come up with some new "hooks" to retain my interest and stimulate honest/funny conversation. I've recently been admonished about my maudlin side. When someone thinks enough of you to tell you honestly you may be off base, that is a true friend.
Hang in there All-you'all.

 

[Rozenn]

I have been following the many discussions, pictures, etc. on the forum. Brings back a lot of wonderful memories of walking the Camino.
My husband and I walked the French route back in September/October 2019.
It was our first Camino (Ages 60/65)….and one of the best adventures of our lives. A lot of people did not believe that we would be able to walk from SJPP to SdC. It was difficult, wonderful, good days, bad days, but we did it!

We had planned to walk the Portuguese Coastal route in 2020….but of course…it did not happen.
Lately my one little light at the end of tunnel (walking another Camino this year) is fading…Vaccine distribution is moving incredibly slow in Canada.

I am struggling right now…as it is winter time here in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. -19c last weekend (wind chill of -30c) with a couple of feet of snow on our property. It is difficult to be motivated to get out and walk….

I envy the people on the forum who are able to get outside every day to walk and be able to work in their gardens and maybe see other family members.

I miss our time on the Camino….we are happy we went when we did…but I wonder sometimes if it would be better for my mind….if I did not know what I was missing…

I understand you perfectly ! I know how difficult it can be to keep
A daily routine and go outside when it is so cold outside ( I lived a few years in Russia !)
Here in Brittany I try not to co
Plain when it is grey , windy and rainy and when we have a few hours of snow and evryone is panicked!!
I purchased a rower machine and it has really helped me go through some fits of lazyness ! I didn’t expect it to be so pleasant to use and very effective to keep me strong with good muscles ! A good sweat , some music in thebackground and avoid shower afterwards really makes me feel good and remove the urge to push myself outside when really the weather is too depressing
It works wonderfully for me . I will be 67 in May
Good luck !

 

[tweekes]

Don't know if this is the correct place but.

I have my vaccine. I have trained enough and walked enough to leave tomorrow to fly to Sevilla to start the VDLP. But it is still a wish that that hopefully will be fulfilled in October. But October is still 8 months away. I have watched more than enough videos. To be honest after many videos of people of their caminos or photos set to music on their caminos I have gotten bored by them. Sorry no offense at all. I will say I have seen some really good ones. David Tallan has a very good list of videos. I also like the videos of people who have gone day by day and talked about their feelings, where they stayed and how much they spent, like Efrain and Sarah's videos. To be honest I have tried reading books by people who have walked and I have found they are not my cup of tea. I enjoy reading on this forum. people's questions, comments and especially when people write about their day by day experiences on less traveled Caminos. I have tried virtual caminos but again not for me.
But I have started to get a little ornery and sometimes I say dumb things here and I apologize.
I am not getting my fix anymore from my Camino resources.
I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.
But it drove me crazy like everything else Camino related has lately. I am soon to be 67 and like the rest of my fellow pilgrims none of us have time to waste. I know there is no answer but to double down on my patience and do a little venting. Maybe someone has a genius idea. I do have other hobbies and things to keep me busy. But I love the Camino and it is home.
I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me. I may now take a list of albergues because who knows what will be in October) Now as it looks like my college buddies will not be able to walk until 2022 with me because not one, not two but there are three newly diagnosed cancers between them and one of their wives our future plans have changed. This has been way more divesting and has added greatly to the stress as we were going to walk together this year to celebrate 50 years together. So I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago. There is no doubt in my mind they will be next to me when we meet in Porto. Don;t have much more to bitch about and worry about so:
Thanks very much!

Wow, I read your every word and I, too, am feeling the wrestlessness surrounding many things. My Camino pendulum swings the other way though... I have yet to step foot on The Way. My trip has been planned and suspended 2 times and has now been re-scheduled for this September. I have taken in so much information and have done SO MUCH research, read blogs, articles, watched videos...I feel that the Camino is alive in me - I can picture myself there already. It remains to be seen what will happen over the next months, between now and September.

 

[tweekes]

I will be 67 in March so go do two!!! I can only do one so do the second one for me. We are tough!!!

 

[tweekes]

You all inspire me so much!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I stepped away from the Camino and the Forum, not because I was bored of either, but because I needed to recharge my batteries and come up with some new "hooks" to retain my interest and stimulate honest/funny conversation. I've recently been admonished about my maudlin side. When someone thinks enough of you to tell you honestly you may be off base, that is a true friend.
Hang in there All-you'all.

Arn, I for one have enjoyed your returning presence on the forum. You have entertained many of us with your enthusiasm and humor, which has often sparked many responses that have been both interesting and fun to read.

 

[Arn]

Arn, I for one have enjoyed your returning presence on the forum. You have entertained many of us with your enthusiasm and humor, which has often sparked many responses that have been both interesting and fun to read.

Thank you! Sometimes my elephant mouth overloads my hummingbird Butt!

 

[alexwalker]

Wow, I read your every word and I, too, am feeling the wrestlessness surrounding many things. My Camino pendulum swings the other way though... I have yet to step foot on The Way. My trip has been planned and suspended 2 times and has now been re-scheduled for this September. I have taken in so much information and have done SO MUCH research, read blogs, articles, watched videos...I feel that the Camino is alive in me - I can picture myself there already. It remains to be seen what will happen over the next months, between now and September.

The Camino has called you, @tweekes , and you obviously have responded. That's what is important for you. You may not fully know/understand it (the calling), but trust me: Oldtimers know. Welcome to our group. Feel lucky. You will be there, on the Way, some time.

I am glad you have found, and participate, in this Forum: It is probably the best learning source you can find. For all of you, myself included; we just have to bite our teeth: Our time will come again.

The Camino and the people of Spain will yet another time welcome us back. We have just been delayed. Our time will come again, and we shall walk into the next little village, sit at a table with a cold beer and tortilla, watching life flowing by, and then emerge ourselves into the Camino again.

Do not despair, friends peregrinos: After one year of turmoil, the medics are much better at treating this nastyness; less people are dying, vaccine is just around the corner, we are all now alive, and all will be well. Afterwards, we'll walk again. Many times.

 

[Arn]

Wow, I read your every word and I, too, am feeling the wrestlessness surrounding many things. My Camino pendulum swings the other way though... I have yet to step foot on The Way. My trip has been planned and suspended 2 times and has now been re-scheduled for this September. I have taken in so much information and have done SO MUCH research, read blogs, articles, watched videos...I feel that the Camino is alive in me - I can picture myself there already. It remains to be seen what will happen over the next months, between now and September.

@tweekes, as much as you plan, wait patiently, or not...the Camino was there the very first time you gave breath to the desire to walk the Way. The Camino is hundreds of years in the making and it's the Camino that waits patiently for you to arrive.
Buen Camino,
Arn

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Thank you! Sometimes my elephant mouth overloads my hummingbird Butt!

Your humor knows no limits...I personally love it!

 

[Ellen Gotts]

I'm 71 and don't think of myself as "running out of time" yet as I had a father who continued to work until a few months before he died at 92. In all his later years I never heard him refer to himself as OLD. I had to put off my Camino from Mont-St-Michel last year and am re-planning it for this fall - next spring - next summer - whenever.
I look at this forum just about every day. There is just so much to read, and such interesting takes on so many interesting topics.
cheers & bon chemin

I like your positive thinking. An encouragement to me also 71!

 

[RemysMimi]

Had two doses of Pfizer. I had a pretty intense reaction to the second dose. I was dizzy and a little disoriented almost immediately. The nurse noticed and made me stay seated and the doctor came to check me out. They made me stay over a half hour. He came back and told me that I must go home immediately stay in bed for at least 3 days. It took almost a week to get back to normal. He also told me that such a strong reaction usually means that the vaccine will probably work much better than normal. He said that strong vaccine reactions relate to strong protection.

I, too, have heard others say the same thing as your doctor. My FIL, who is in his mid-80's barely had any negative response at all. His doctor said it was because his immune system is so compromised already (he has a myriad of health issues. You must already be quite healthy,

 

[lt56ny]

I, too, have heard others say the same thing as your doctor. My FIL, who is in his mid-80's barely had any negative response at all. His doctor said it was because his immune system is so compromised already (he has a myriad of health issues. You must already be quite healthy,

Thanks I have two things that keep me healthy. I am always walking and getting ready for my next Camino. The older I get the longer the caminos I like. Sevilla next Camino hopefully in October and from Faro next year. Secondly I have a wife who watches everything I eat and will wake up from a dead sleep by me just opening the refrigerator door!

 

[David61]

I'm 71 and don't think of myself as "running out of time" yet as I had a father who continued to work until a few months before he died at 92. In all his later years I never heard him refer to himself as OLD. I had to put off my Camino from Mont-St-Michel last year and am re-planning it for this fall - next spring - next summer - whenever.
I look at this forum just about every day. There is just so much to read, and such interesting takes on so many interesting topics.
cheers & bon chemin

May I ask where you intend to finish if starting at Mont-St-Michel?

 

[Richard P]

Hello David
I'll be spending 2 months so I think I will either reach Santiago or somewhere along the Norte again before returning home. I want to walk the Norte at least as far as Bilbao as when I walked there in 2015 it was raining almost every day from Hendaye onwards and I really want to see that part of Spain.
I can't wait to get started.
cheers

 

[David61]

Hello David
I'll be spending 2 months so I think I will either reach Santiago or somewhere along the Norte again before returning home. I want to walk the Norte at least as far as Bilbao as when I walked there in 2015 it was raining almost every day from Hendaye onwards and I really want to see that part of Spain.
I can't wait to get started.
cheers

Thank you. That is a long Way!. Bon Chemin y Buen Camino!

 

[Bagobev]

Wow wow wow so many things we share. So many here are 67. I’ll happily join you this May. I too find myself obsessed with the Camino & plan different routes daily. A little or a lot insane, don’t know. I’m a Pulmonologist/Critical care doc doing Palliative, this past weekend 10 of my patients died. 10! TEN persons dead. The most ever in my 40+ years of doing this. We who are alive must live each day to our fullest, whatever that is. I thank all of you here, this network of Peregrinos who share our hopes and dreams. Buen Camino to all of us in our everyday caminos. Somehow, I love you all.

I read your post and felt your sadness at the passing of 10 patients in such a short time. How hard that must be, so here is a giant hug from Canada. Be well and keep dreaming.

 

[Celi Anatrella]

Don't know if this is the correct place but.

I have my vaccine. I have trained enough and walked enough to leave tomorrow to fly to Sevilla to start the VDLP. But it is still a wish that that hopefully will be fulfilled in October. But October is still 8 months away. I have watched more than enough videos. To be honest after many videos of people of their caminos or photos set to music on their caminos I have gotten bored by them. Sorry no offense at all. I will say I have seen some really good ones. David Tallan has a very good list of videos. I also like the videos of people who have gone day by day and talked about their feelings, where they stayed and how much they spent, like Efrain and Sarah's videos. To be honest I have tried reading books by people who have walked and I have found they are not my cup of tea. I enjoy reading on this forum. people's questions, comments and especially when people write about their day by day experiences on less traveled Caminos. I have tried virtual caminos but again not for me.
But I have started to get a little ornery and sometimes I say dumb things here and I apologize.
I am not getting my fix anymore from my Camino resources.
I think what drove me over this new edge was watching 3 Caminos on Amazon. I realize it is a work of fiction and the backdrop of the Camino is a way to tell a story, but I found it maddening and not very good at all. Again just an opinion. Even though I did enjoy the cinematography and the shots of some really lovely towns, villages and treks of the Camino Frances I found myself thinking what intense thing will happen to keep this "family" going as their lives unfold over 20 years and obviously 3 Caminos. Mumbling to myself that they are walking day in and day out and never buckling their waist belt. Or their clothes are new every day and they all look like they were bought in boutiques or the best department stores around the world, and damn how do they keep their boots and trail runners looking like new and and and.
Of course it is just a tv show.
But it drove me crazy like everything else Camino related has lately. I am soon to be 67 and like the rest of my fellow pilgrims none of us have time to waste. I know there is no answer but to double down on my patience and do a little venting. Maybe someone has a genius idea. I do have other hobbies and things to keep me busy. But I love the Camino and it is home.
I have planned my VDLP and threw in a planning for a Camino Levante. (Love to plan but never take my plans with me. I may now take a list of albergues because who knows what will be in October) Now as it looks like my college buddies will not be able to walk until 2022 with me because not one, not two but there are three newly diagnosed cancers between them and one of their wives our future plans have changed. This has been way more divesting and has added greatly to the stress as we were going to walk together this year to celebrate 50 years together. So I will go back to the drawing board for them and plan a Camino in 2022. For me starting in Faro. I will work my way up through Lisbon, Fatima and meet them in Porto. Then up the coast to the Variante Espiritual and on to Santiago. There is no doubt in my mind they will be next to me when we meet in Porto. Don;t have much more to bitch about and worry about so:
Thanks very much!

I feel your pain. I’m sorry!!! This is actually the first time I return to the forum after I stopped my weekly visits maybe last summer? It was too painful!!! I was blessed to walk two caminos one in 2018 and another one in 2019 and I was planning my first camino ever with my hubby in 2020 to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Covid ruined that way of celebrating our anniversary needless to say. I’m not sure if I will be able to walk again... but what is helping me is having an attitude of gratitude. Very simple! I loaded one of my camino fotos (my swollen feet in the front with the Cathedral of Santiago in the background) as one of my wallpapers or whatever they are called in my cell so I see it every time I grab the cell. I stop for a moment and thank God for giving me the opportunity to have experienced those two amazing pilgrimages. I try to think of one great memory of one of those trips and I move on with my day. It’s filling my bucket somehow... Hope this helps you.

 

[lt56ny]

I feel your pain. I’m sorry!!! This is actually the first time I return to the forum after I stopped my weekly visits maybe last summer? It was too painful!!! I was blessed to walk two caminos one in 2018 and another one in 2019 and I was planning my first camino ever with my hubby in 2020 to celebrate our 25th anniversary. Covid ruined that way of celebrating our anniversary needless to say. I’m not sure if I will be able to walk again... but what is helping me is having an attitude of gratitude. Very simple! I loaded one of my camino fotos (my swollen feet in the front with the Cathedral of Santiago in the background) as one of my wallpapers or whatever they are called in my cell so I see it every time I grab the cell. I stop for a moment and thank God for giving me the opportunity to have experienced those two amazing pilgrimages. I try to think of one great memory of one of those trips and I move on with my day. It’s filling my bucket somehow... Hope this helps you.

I hope you you never have to say never about anything you want to do. My wish for you is that you and your husband will walk the Camino much sooner than you have ever dreamed.

 

[Arn]

I, too, have heard others say the same thing as your doctor. My FIL, who is in his mid-80's barely had any negative response at all. His doctor said it was because his immune system is so compromised already (he has a myriad of health issues. You must already be quite healthy,

I go in for #2 of Pfizer in 20 minutes. I will remain here at the Veterans Administration MC for about one hour after before I drive about an hour back to the farm. I will give an update “as it happens” during that hour.

 

[Arn]

Shot Out: 14:30... Waiting room till 14:45
14:37...slightly dizzy...although that may be normal
14:45 cleared to the snack bar

 

[Arn]

Shot Out: 14:30... Waiting room till 14:45
14:37...slightly dizzy...although that may be normal
14:45 cleared to the snack bar

14:53...face feels flush...tingley

 

[Arn]

14:53...face feels flush...tingley

15:11...face remains flush...bit throwing in shot area

 

[Arn]

15:11...face remains flush...bit throwing in shot area

Throb...
15:21 heading over to take the COVID test for my Thursday trip to snow country

 

[Arn]

Throb...
15:21 heading over to take the COVID test for my Thursday trip to snow country

Well, got the test. Results in 48-72 hours. Plenty of time before I depart for Vermont Thursday.
Oh, BTW...it’s about six hours since shot# 2
No apparent side effects to this point. Will chalk up initial observations to anxiety ( though I will never admit it).

 

[trecile]

14:53...face feels flush...tingley

Well, got the test. Results in 48-72 hours. Plenty of time before I depart for Vermont Thursday.
Oh, BTW...it’s about six hours since shot# 2
No apparent side effects to this point. Will chalk up initial observations to anxiety ( though I will never admit it).

I hope that you don't have any side effects, but it seems that it may take 12 to 24 hours for them to develop if they are going to. My mother had her 2nd Moderna shot on Friday at 10am. I spoke to her around 6pm and she was perfectly fine. However, the next I called her around 10am, and she told me that around 10pm the night before she began having a low fever and body aches. She took some acetaminophen and took it easy the rest of the day. By Sunday evening she was feeling almost back to normal. But her boyfriend, who got his second shot at the same time had no symptoms.

 

[Arn]

I hope that you don't have any side effects, but it seems that it may take 12 to 24 hours for them to develop if they are going to. My mother had her 2nd Moderna shot on Friday at 10am. I spoke to her around 6pm and she was perfectly fine. However, the next I called her around 10am, and she told me that around 10pm the night before she began having a low fever and body aches. She took some acetaminophen and took it easy the rest of the day. By Sunday evening she was feeling almost back to normal. But her boyfriend, who got his second shot at the same time had no symptoms.

Just happy to have shot. Side effects show body is either fighting or adapting. I'll accept both.

 

[Rozenn]

Good for you ! Enjoy the feeling of freedom coming closer !
In France t’il now no vaccine for the 64/75 yrs old .,, the Astra Zeneca is not recomanded by the medical authorities ., and there is not enough Moderna or Pfizer
..such a mess!!

 

[Arn]

A full 24 hours since shot#2....NO side effects at this point. I hope you all get access soon. I have some inside info on availability, but I can't post it do to politics. Remain upbeat and this too shall pass.

 

[Arn]

COVID test results back....negative! So, Good To Go for my trip to VT and playing in the snow.

 

[RemysMimi]

COVID test results back....negative! So, Good To Go for my trip to VT and playing in the snow.

Good for you!!! Glad you haven't had any side effects.

 

[Bagobev]

I have been following the many discussions, pictures, etc. on the forum. Brings back a lot of wonderful memories of walking the Camino.
My husband and I walked the French route back in September/October 2019.
It was our first Camino (Ages 60/65)….and one of the best adventures of our lives. A lot of people did not believe that we would be able to walk from SJPP to SdC. It was difficult, wonderful, good days, bad days, but we did it!

We had planned to walk the Portuguese Coastal route in 2020….but of course…it did not happen.
Lately my one little light at the end of tunnel (walking another Camino this year) is fading…Vaccine distribution is moving incredibly slow in Canada.

I am struggling right now…as it is winter time here in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. -19c last weekend (wind chill of -30c) with a couple of feet of snow on our property. It is difficult to be motivated to get out and walk….

I envy the people on the forum who are able to get outside every day to walk and be able to work in their gardens and maybe see other family members.

I miss our time on the Camino….we are happy we went when we did…but I wonder sometimes if it would be better for my mind….if I did not know what I was missing….

As a fellow Canadian with mountains of snow just outside of my door I understand your feelings completely. I love to garden and bike and of course can do neither right now and I too am envious of those that can venture out without thinking of windchill and frostbite. I am awaiting spring with open arms and a song in my heart!

 

[dick bird]

Hallelujah to all that. I watched it and it just made me so maddeningly irritate! Yes, camino is a setting in which any of us might live our lives, but truthfully, Camino is no just a backdrop for a melodrama about finding the right person for a snog... and yet... there it was... and the *make-up*... My word. Only once did I meet a young woman carrying that much make-up (several travel trunks arrived in Ledigos, and then the same several were being unloaded as I passed through Sahaugun on my way to wherever.... and I never aw her again. I suspect it was all *too much*... but apparently not too much for the characters of 3 Caminos to lug through, well, 3 Caminos.

When we walked the Norte, I could not figure out why albergues were providing hair driers. Then I noticed the 'Please Leave' box, then the penny dropped.

 

[Rozenn]

When we walked the Norte, I could not figure out why albergues were providing hair driers. Then I noticed the 'Please Leave' box, then the penny dropped.

Yes all the episodes are so fake that is nearly disturbing ! But what were the producers thinking about ?? And it is supported by the Xunta de Galicia ..! All so weird

 

[Rozenn]

When I occasionally miss a hairdryer , i go to a local hairdresser ! Always a good source of info about the places and great fun discussing with the ladies around !